Funding will support a collaborative partnership between the City of Surrey, the Surrey Urban Indigenous Leadership Committee, and Skookum Surrey to plan and implement culturally-appropriate engagement sessions regarding how to improve road safety for the Surrey Indigenous community.

Surrey is home to the largest urban Indigenous population in BC. Provincial health data shows that Indigenous Peoples are more than twice as likely to be killed or seriously injured in a motor vehicle collision compared to non-Indigenous people. To understand the reasons behind such disparities and to ensure we are addressing the specific road safety concerns and barriers of Indigenous Peoples in Surrey, the City of Surrey Transportation Division, the Surrey Urban Indigenous Leadership Committee (SUILC) and Skookum Surrey will engage with the urban Indigenous community so we can hear their road safety stories and co-create solutions through dialogue. Specifically, this project will include conducting a series of engagement activities led by the SUILC and Skookum Surrey ranging from focus groups to large engagement sessions.

SUILC and Skookum Surrey, in partnership with the City of Surrey, have developed a culturally specific and thoughtful process of engagement where Indigenous Peoples can share their stories, concerns and opinions about road safety so disparities and barriers can be understood and addressed. This project will help identify the needs and challenges faced by Indigenous Peoples in Surrey as they relate to road safety. Findings will support the co-creation of culturally specific projects that aim to reduce traffic-related injuries and fatalities within the Indigenous community in Surrey. By working together, we can help improve safety on Surrey roads for Indigenous Peoples.